Known in the art are some processes for producing aromatic aminocompounds, such as aniline by the hydrogenation of aromatic nitro compounds, e.g., nitrobenzene in a liquid phase by using hydrogen, with the use of a dispersed catalyst which is a metal of the platinum group, e.g., palladium, or said metal on a support, the hydrogenation process occurring at a temperature of from 20.degree. to 100.degree. C. and a pressure from 10 to 40 atm.
Said known processes, however, suffer from a number of substantial disadvantages, such as:
(1) The end product needs purification from the catalyst particles, which involves heavy losses of precious metals (viz., metals of the platinum group); PA1 (2) The hydrogenation process is carried out at high pressure; PA1 (3) The process is accompanied by the formation of a great deal of by-products, amounting to 10 percent. PA1 (1) The process makes it possible to obviate purification of the end product from the residual catalyst and, thereby to rule out losses of precious metals (viz., metals of the platinum group), by using a membrane catalyst; PA1 (2) The process of nitrobenzene hydrogenation into aniline is carried out under atmospheric pressure, which is attained by the use of a membrane catalyst permselective to hydrogen; the latter is fed to the reaction zone in a highly active atomic state; PA1 (3) The hydrogenation process runs without the formation of any by-products inasmuch as application of the membrane catalyst enables one to maintain the hydrogen concentration on the surface of said catalyst within the limits required for the selective hydrogenation; PA1 (4) The catalyst is resistant to the effect of hydrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds (viz., nitrobenzene and aniline), which is accounted for by the provision of ruthenium as the catalyst constituent.